Desire
by AloofAndAndrogynous
Summary: [AU] The Water Tribes have been defeated in the Siege of the North, and the survivors are now captives of the Fire Nation. The Fire Lord takes notice of a certain member of this defeated tribe. Surprise pairing! :3
1. Chapter 1

_**Desire**_

Avatar: the Last Airbender does not belong to me, nor do the characters of Zhao and Katara. I make no profit off this story, though I claim the rights to this piece of work.

It had been over a year. A year since the fall of the North Pole, the death of the Avatar, and the enslavement of what remained of her tribe. The Moon had been restored, but Yue's sacrifice had come too late, for the Avatar was already dead. Katara had been certain that the Fire Nation victory would mean an outright slaughter of the entire tribe, but she along with others had already been loaded onto the ships. It had been a nightmarish voyage – several of the survivors had actually found ways to kill themselves, rather than be slaves to the Fire Nation, which was an almost certain fate for them. She had been tempted to join them many times, for what future awaited her?

But some inner resolve did not allow her to give up so easily.

Katara was now a slave in the Palace, albeit an exotic one. Because Water Tribe people were hard to come by, they were very valued, especially the Waterbenders. Once her ability to heal had been recognized, she had been whisked away, passed through several pairs of hands before she ended up at the Palace, as the assistant to the royal physician. Granted, she was fed and clothed and kept warm, and treated decently now – as compared to when she had first been captured, and now compared to many other slaves, especially Earth Kingdom slaves – she still hated it here, under the rule of Fire Lord Zhao and Fire Lady Azula.

Zhao had risen in status almost immediately after the fall of the North Pole, and had married Princess Azula, effectively securing himself into the royal family. That coming year, Fire Lord Ozai - not old at all, and physically fit and healthy in all ways – passed away, cause of death not known. Though Katara understood what had happened as soon as Zhao ascended to the throne, and had wondered to herself how it the death of Ozai had been brought about. Zuko and Iroh were nowhere to be seen, and were presumed dead, though a reward still hung over their heads.

Many people suspected that Zhao or Azula or both were responsible for Ozai's death. But she had not said anything. She kept her head down, doing anything she could to escape Azula's notice, for the woman was a bitch, and cruel to her servants.

She had been there when Azula had given birth to the Prince, and she had been sorely tempted to kill them both when Azula was weak from childbirth. It had been a difficult birth for the Princess, who was still rather young – only sixteen, and slender and lithe, with a body entirely unsuitable for pregnancy much less the birthing process. Katara had been tempted to simply let the Fire Lady bleed to death, and that would have happened, if she had not been there. As it was, she had healed Azula – and received no gratitude, not that she expected any.

Azula had been compared to a demon when her belly started to swell. She was a very physical woman, priding herself on her skill, but she was unable to do many things as her belly swelled, and had actually risked a miscarriage several times when she attempted to push herself.

She beat servants for no reason, she screamed at the guards. It had gotten so that Zhao actually had prisoners brought up from the dungeons for Azula to torture by her own hand, and Katara had seen the remains of those – some survived, some did not. And Katara was supremely grateful that she was kept in the confines of the medical wing, tending to guards and servants who were injured and fell ill, rather than be a personal servant to the Fire Lady. It was not too bad here – she was warm, fed, safe, and had opportunity to learn healing techniques from the kind-hearted physician, though sometimes she felt useless because she was unable to help her tribe or the world.

Zhao liked to sleep with different women, as was his right as Fire Lord, and the Waterbender had managed to escape his notice for a while now, since she was usually kept in the infirmary to do her job.

But it inevitably happened. He spotted her as she was working, and she had immediately caught his interest. He liked Fire Nation women, occasionally sampling the delights of Earth Kingdom slaves as well, but the dark skin and blue eyes of Water Tribe females was very attractive to him.

And they were so rare now. Most Water Tribe females were to be found in the wealthiest of Fire Nation men's homes, for their value as exotic concubines or 'merchandise'. Water Tribe men had value too, and were put to work with their talents, such as irrigation, or drawing water from unseen wells in the ground. As much as Fire Nation hated to admit it, Waterbending was valuable, so people with Waterbending ability were captured, and closely monitored. There was no other Water Tribe people in the Palace household however, though there were two Water Tribe men kept on the Palace grounds.

So Katara was a rare beauty, a Waterbender _and_ a healer, and Zhao wanted her in his bed – he would have her, no matter what. He was often unsatisfied with his conquests. Sure, he would have his release – but it was merely a temporary release. He discarded women as soon as he took them, not caring about the disgrace. He took anyone who caught his passing fancy – concubines, servants, the daughters or sisters of noblemen – even a few wives of other men.

The Waterbender was unaware of his lust. She probably thought herself safe and unnoticed. And when he had first seen her, her beauty was hidden under weeks of dirt, fatigue, her blue robes torn and ragged. Her cheeks were slightly hollowed from the meager diet that the prisoners had been placed on during the voyage to the Fire Nation to ensure that their strength would be limited. She had gotten into the Palace on her healing skills alone – she had healed a wound that a Fire Nation soldier had savagely beaten into one of the prisoners during the voyage and had been discovered. Such a talent was not to be wasted and while the other Water Tribe women were sold and given to various Fire Nation nobles and generals – on the strict condition that all of the Water Tribe prisoners were to be kept in the Capital for monitoring and recording purposes – she was brought to the Palace.

He heard of her talent and success in the infirmary but still did not pay much notice. The first time he had really seen her, was after Azula had given birth. Infact she had been the one who placed the squalling newborn boy in his arms – freshly bathed and wrapped in a red silk blanket of course, her eyes averted to the floor in deference of his position. She looked clean, healthy, and attractive, and her dark skin had contrasted nicely against the simple red silk robe she was attired in. At that time, he had barely taken notice of her, but over the last couple of months, he had been wondering about her.

Fire Lord Zhao had found dissatisfaction with other women, especially Azula. His wife was frosty and cruel, and that one time they had sex, on their wedding night, she had taken control of the situation and had made the experience rather uncomfortable for him. Now, he knew she was cuckolding him... if she was even having sex. He knew she took men into her room, but they always came out the worse for wear, and he did not ask her questions. They had separate apartments, and only came together in Court, as Lord and Lady.

She had left the care of their infant son to a wet nurse and servants, not wanting to be bothered by what she saw as the trivial responsibilities of motherhood. He felt sorry for the little child, a healthy boy, but he had no time to spend with his son, as he was busy with all of the responsibilities of being the Fire Lord. He did make an effort to check up on the baby once in a while, so he knew the kid was doing well. He actually cared more for the kid than he had ever cared for his wife, and certainly he cared a hell of a lot more for the baby than Azula did. After all, he knew without a doubt the child was his. With that proof in hand, he cared not what his wife did with other men, and she didn't care what he did with his own conquests.

He even suspected his wife was planning to get rid of him, but then, he was thinking of doing the same. Azula was dangerous, and he knew she would love nothing more than to be Fire Lord. While she could not technically take the title, she would most certainly have the power if he were out of the way, but he had many of his own supporters who would back him as long as he was alive and well. Intrigue at the Court was thick between the faction that supported him, and the faction that supported his wife, and it was something he needed to take care of in due time.

The Fire Lord muttered impatiently, rising from his seat, banishing the matters of Court and state from his mind. He needed a maiden in his bed, and he knew just who he wanted. He certainly hoped she would be far more satisfying than the last. The last had been a skilled courtesan of the first rank, who had an excellent reputation and talent. While she had done her job, he felt... unsatisfied the morning after.

He smirked as he called a servant forth to give him a message.

The day was drawing to a close, the setting sun casting long shadows through the windows in the main room of the infirmary. Soon, she would have her supper, take a shower, and go to sleep. She didn't like being slave to the Fire Nation, but she knew she was better off than some people. The physician who was her direct supervisor was a kind older man who treated her almost like a daughter sometimes, and she was learning new healing techniques, ones she wished she could share with her people and others who would benefit from her knowledge. At times, she fancied escaping, but this place was too well-guarded, and she would stick out like a sore thumb with her dark skin and cerulean eyes.

Katara finished organizing some herbs that the physician had just gathered from the gardens, tying some up to dry while mashing some others into paste and placing them in labeled containers and vials. One of her secret fantasies was to slip poisonous herbs into the Fire Lord or Lady's food or drink, but she rarely if ever saw either, and did not know who to bribe. But that was all it was – a fantasy, a dream born out of anger at the decimation of her tribe and her current situation.

When a guard entered the infirmary, she looked up, expecting another patient to treat. Lately, the physician had been allowing her to treat some patients on her own, and this guard did not look to have any serious injury or condition at all. If she was unable to handle it herself, the physician was in the next room.

"Do you need any help?" she asked in a quiet voice, her eyes averted to the ground as she had been trained to. She was required to kowtow only to the Fire Lord and Lady, but to nobles and guards, she had to bow her head, like any other servant had to.

"No. But I have a message from the Fire Lord."

"The doctor's in the other room…"

"For you." he said. She looked up, clearly surprised. He continued, "The Fire Lord requires that you be in his personal chambers, in half of an hour."

"Did he say why?"

"No." the guard replied flatly, before taking his leave. Katara's heart pounded. She knew of the Fire Lord's reputation. It seemed that he bedded a new woman every night, and woe to the woman who tried to fight him off. There were a few Earth women here as slaves as well, for outside work. She had helped the physician treat one of them – for Zhao had burned her for trying to resist his conquest of her.

It seemed that he had now marked her as his latest conquest, and she stood there, trembling slightly, trying not to drop the container she held. Finally, she set it down and walked with halting steps to the other room. Her supervisor looked up at her curiously.

"The Fire Lord…" she started haltingly.

"Does he require my services?"

"No. He… called for mine." she whispered, looking down. He paled, his hand stopping short of making a stroke on the paper that he was writing. After several moments, he slowly nodded.

"You… best be going. Stay calm. Do whatever he says. He never keeps any of his conquests and… I will treat you when he is done." he said, concern for her clear in his tone. It warmed her heart that a high-ranking Fire Nation physician might be so concerned for her, a lowly Water Tribe slave.

All she could do was bow her head.

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

_**Desire**_

Chapter 2

Katara stood before the doors to the Fire Lord's apartments, her heart pounding with trepidation. A guard accompanied her – he had come to fetch her at the prescribed time. She had taken a quick shower and dressed in her usual clothing. Strangely enough, she had not been prepared for the night in the way that she had been expecting – no one had come to perfume or oil her or place her in silk robes, as was the usual drill for concubines when they were called for by their master. Perhaps that meant that she was not here for the reason she had thought she had been sent for.

She told herself that, and felt a little better. Maybe, he needed her Waterbending abilities to heal an injury he had gotten. But if that was so, why wasn't the royal physician at least supervising her?

She tried to shake off the feeling of foreboding. Fire Lord Zhao couldn't possibly want her in his bed. He had decimated her tribe and taken all of the survivors into slavery, under strict guard here in the Fire Nation capitol. As a way to keep a close eye on the remnants of the Water Tribe, the Fire Lord had made a law that said that any Water Tribe members were not to go past the borders of the city, much less leave the island. Anyone who owned a Water Tribe slave and wished to leave the island had to transfer their ownership to someone else in the city, perhaps a relative, or sell the slave to another city resident. There was also a registration system, to keep track of the slaves, for Zhao wanted to keep a good amount of Waterbenders for practical purposes.

He couldn't possibly see her as attractive. He had seen her before, when she had handed his newborn son to him, after Azula had just given birth. He had said nothing to her at all. And that was not counting the times she had been a prisoner on his ship, hungry and dirty, bedraggled.

And as Fire Lord, he had the best choices, the best variety and offers of concubines and courtesans to choose from. And herself? She certainly was no beauty. She spent no effort in making herself attractive, and taciturnly ignored the comments and attentions of the soldier here or there that came to the infirmary.

She entered the sitting room hesitantly. There was no one, and the doors closed behind her, with a not too loud, but audible slam. The sound made her jerk a little, before she quickly composed herself.

"Come." she heard the voice of the Fire Lord. It had been a long while since she had heard it, but there was no mistaking the voice of the man who was responsible for her bondage.

She padded across the rugs – oh, such soft and thick rugs! – and paused at the doorway where his voice has issued from.

"Come." the voice commanded again. She entered, trying to hold back a tremble as she saw that she had entered what was unmistakably his bedchamber. He had clearly used his privilege as Fire Lord to make this room as comfortable as possible. There were soft rugs and ornately-carved furniture here and there, and against the opposite wall, a huge four-poster bed with crimson hangings. Fire Nation tapestries hung along the walls, and the pillars and bedposts were decorated with carved and wrought dragons, their maws wide open in silent roars. She had never seen such a lavishly-decorated room, and could not help but mentally compare it to some of the poverty she had seen in the past.

There was a crackling fire in the fireplace. Above it was a gold-frame mirror that was angled slightly downwards, with more crimson and black hangings at its sides. She held back a gasp as she saw the Fire Lord in the mirror's reflection, reclined in one of the soft chairs facing the fire.

"My lord." Katara murmured, quickly falling to her knees and kowtowing before him, as much as she did not want to. But survival was the key here, even if it meant kowtowing to the enemy. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw his shadow move, rising from the chair as it approached her. It fell over her cowed form, and she did not move. She would not rise until the Fire Lord told her to.

"Life in the Palace suits you well. Rise." he commanded. She bristled at the insult but said nothing, rising to her feet. She kept her eyes averted to the floor, her hands folded at her sides neatly, in the way that she had been taught.

She flinched, when she felt his finger touch her chin, forcing it up. The first thing she noticed – and remembered about Zhao from the past – were his sideburns. No one else she had ever seen had such sideburns, and she kept her eyes averted, afraid to meet his own.

"You're much improved. A bath suits you." he continued snidely. She wanted to yell at him that he had been the one to keep her and her comrades prisoners, with limited water so they could not bend. Of course, they had been filthy. She remembered her first bath – she had been tied down for it, and scrubbed roughly. It had been one of the most humiliating experiences she had ever gone through, for the people who had washed her were men. Fortunately, she was already bedraggled and thin from the voyage, so they had not thought her attractive enough for more than a few lewd comments or groping. The other women who had come with her had been handled in this manner as well, as if they were simply merchandise to be cleaned – which they were, she reminded herself bitterly.

"Do you have something that you need me to remedy?" she asked, before she could stop herself.

"Yes. Yes, I do." Fire Lord Zhao smirked. She held back a sigh of relief. So, she would treat him, and leave. Yes. But his next comment caused her thoughts to come crashing down.

"I hear that you're skilled in the infirmary and that Hei enjoys having you as his assistant. I suppose it's a good thing I spared a few Waterbenders, hmm? But I ask of you to remedy something that you have not been trained for… though I am sure that you will learn quickly enough." he said with a smirk.

_Spirits, no!_ she thought to herself. Without thinking, she pulled away from him, taking a step back. To be taken by the Lord of the Fire Nation, the man responsible for the decimation of her tribe… it would be a dishonor beyond dishonors. To give in and to let him take her would be most shameful. It would go against the memory of her people, and her heritage.

She had been a obedient slave until now – following her physician, keeping her head down around the nobles, and making no escape attempts, unlike some of the other prisoners around here, prisoners she had had to treat. Benders were valuable, and needed for various jobs, and while this did not protect them from beatings, it did give them some protection against being killed. So far, she had avoided such a beating, appearing to be broken and cowed before her new masters even before she stepped into the Palace. She was aware of the few male Waterbenders kept outside for ground work around the Palace, and they had not been brought into the infirmary, so they had apparently followed her strategy for survival, unless the outside workers had their own infirmary.

He reached out for her, but she moved out of his reach.

"Stay right where you are." he growled, moving towards her. Her training told her to stay and obey his command. But her fear overwhelmed her. She would not let this vile man touch her!

Taking another step backwards, she was fully aware of the danger that she was toying with. She knew he had beat some of his conquests before, if they had decided to defy him. But at this point, she did not care.

She gave out a startled cry when he grabbed her arm, and she squirmed around, trying to break free. But it was no use at all – he was far stronger than she, and his hand was like a vise grip on her upper arm, bruisingly hard.

"Let me go!" she shrieked, as he gave her a hard shake. He growled, and shook her again.

"You will obey me, Water wench!" he snarled.

"No!" Katara yelled, and found herself pinned to the floor on her side, his hand still on her arm. He climbed on top of her, pinning her down with his considerable bulk – life as Fire Lord had not softened him, and he maintained a rigorous training session, keeping himself in top shape. Pinning her down was really very little effort, and he smirked down at her. He could sense her fear, almost _smell_ it.

_Good_, he thought with a predatory smirk.

"You will be mine, and you will do best to submit, or else…" he growled menacingly, seeing her flinch a little. Sometimes, if he was in a particularly bad mood, he would feel the need to hit someone or something, but he was actually in a rather good mood tonight. All he wanted was some pleasure, and a warm body to use for that purpose.

"I hate you. You ruined my life!" she shot back defiantly, before looking over at the wall.

"Shut up…" he growled before leaning down, getting a slight whiff of her scent. Natural not covered in the perfumes that concubines and courtesans were often bathed in. He had always hated such overwhelming smells. He breathed against her ear, and she shuddered and moaned as he traced it with his tongue.

She whimpered softly, her body going rigid, and she lay there on the floor like a statue. His tongue and breath were so warm, she wondered if this heat came from his Firebending, or his need. Perhaps a combination of both.

He maintained his firm grip on her arm, his other hand sliding along her stomach. She tried to will his hand away, but it was inevitable, what would happen. And it did. His hands found the underside of her breasts, but they did not stop there, and she continued to stare at the wall as his hand firmly cupped her left breast. He started to knead it, almost as if he was giving her a massage.

It was not painful, but it was firm, and he seemed to enjoy squeezing her flesh. Her breasts were not large – she did not eat much even when she was given a good choice of food, but he did not seem to care. She groaned and writhed around, as he continued his firm treatment of her chest, letting go of her arm so he could play with her other breast.

Strangely enough, the rubbing was pleasurable in a way. She had been expecting a outright violation, or a beating for her defiance. Surprise had given way to relief, and then to enjoyment, as he made his kneading just a bit gentler.

"Pl... please." she sobbed softly, her fingers digging into the soft, thick carpet.

"Please what?" he asked softly, rolling her nipples after he slipped his hands under her linen shirt.

"Please... don't do this. Have mercy." she said with a soft sob.

"Shh-h-hhh..." he purred, a hand lowering to the hem of her pants. With a sudden movement, he yanked it away, along with her fundoshi. His movements had been so sudden, that she had no time to try to keep them on.

She lay before him on the rich, plush red area rug, an utterly enticing sight to him. The Earth Kingdom women he had taken in the past – a few of them had been a little tanned. But he had never had anyone with such dark skin. She did look a bit paler than she had when he had first lay eyes upon her, since she spent most if not all of her time in the Palace, away from the sun.

**(part of this story has been cut out, since FanFiction Net does not allow explicit sex scenes, per their no-smut policy. Their problem, not mine. You can follow the link in my profile to the uncut version of this story) **

He slid his fingers out, and sniffed for a moment – her musk was most pleasant, and he licked his fingers clean, looking down at her with a small smirk as her eyes widened at his actions.

He let out a soft chuckle, and when he looked back at her, her face was averted to the floor, rather pointedly. He let go of her leg, setting it back down as he noticed her faint trembling.

"Lovely." His voice was gruff and husky, sounding almost like a dragonic growl to her. She had never met a more feral, bestial man than Zhao. He seemed to revel in conquests, and being on top always, in whatever arena he was competing in. She could not help but think of 'king of the snowpile', a game that she and the other village children would play when they were younger.

Katara paused and hesitantly raised her head, her eyes peering at him over the sleeve of her robe.

"It felt good, didn't it..." he whispered, his voice now...soft. Almost understanding, as if he was genuinely trying to comfort or reassure her. "It's okay that it felt good...There's nothing wrong with it."

She slowly nodded, whimpering a little as he grabbed her arm, tugging her to her feet.


	3. Chapter 3

**__**

**_Desire_**

Chapter 3

Katara honestly had not expected him to give her any pleasure, she mused as she was forced onto her feet. She felt as if she might fall down, for she felt rather weak-kneed and wobbly. But his grip on her arm remained firm, and she started to close up her robe with her free hand, holding onto whatever modesty and dignity that she could.

"All I wish… is to feel the warmth of your body. And you will give it to me, Waterbender. I will make it feel good for you, like I did before… if you be a good girl. Can you do that?"

"But why me? You do not even know me…" Katara replied hesitantly, "I thought that the Water Tribe was... inferior to you."

"You are beautiful... I wish to have you…" he purred as he pulled her closer, nuzzling against her neck. She paused at his words, looking at him with a little fear, but more confusion at his gentle words and actions. Why wasn't he knocking her around for her defiance, violating her as she heard he liked to do?

With his free hand, he jerked her robe open, frowning at her slightly for her small act of defiance.

"You will hide nothing from me." he growled, before he lowered his head, to suck at her neck and shoulder. She gave out a low groan, feeling his heated breath on his flesh, and his grip on her other shoulder to keep her from pulling back.

Usually, he just saw women as conquests, something to stick his manhood in for relief. But this one… she had such a nice scent, without the perfume, and he loved the color of her skin, so warm and inviting, instead of the pale and cold skin of Fire Nation courtesans. Her eyes, such a lovely shade of blue, and her plump nether lips demanded that he play with them. He would, later. Right now, his manhood throbbed needily, and he would have his satisfaction.

Keeping a firm grip on her, his head lowered again, to kiss the top of her breasts as he pressed his face against them. She stared down at him, shivering a little as he showed obvious pleasure in what he was doing. How could he be so gruff and brutal one moment, and gentle the next?

Without warning, she found herself suddenly scooped up in his arms. He was so strong, and she could feel the hard muscles on his chest and arms. If anything, she seemed to weight naught but a feather to him, and she was still for several moments, slightly dazed by the entire turn of events as he carried her to the large and inviting bed.

He dumped her onto it, and she was shocked at how comfortable the bed was. The thick mattress was soft, but not overly so, with a firmness underneath it that provided strength to the softness, and comfort to the sleeper. The thick comforter was satin, red satin with gold threading, and pillows of various sizes covered with exotic materials adorned the head of the bed. What a far cry this was, from the simple cot, with its single linen-clad pillow and sheets, with a thin red cotton blanket on top, that she had been sleeping in for over a year.

As his arms slid from her body, he went about on sliding her robe off her body, and she snapped to, trying to pull it back from him. She knew what he would do next, and had no desire to be taken by the Lord of the Fire Nation, a man who did not care about the dignity or sanctity of her body. But his motions were hard and rough in response to her defiance, and her robe was cast aside soon enough, tossed aside onto the carpet.

"Please!" she cried out softly as his eyes moved along her body. She covered herself the best she could, with one arm across her breasts and her other hand at her womanhood, "It would be shameful for me to give myself to the man who destroyed my people..."

"Sozin destroyed the Air Nomads. I conquered your people. Be grateful that you're alive."

"Not if I have to serve you!" she spat out. His eyes narrowed, and she yelped as a firm smack was given to the outside of her thigh, and she jerked away.

"I am your Lord now. You will do as I say. You will submit to me. You are my subject, and slave to my every whim." Fire Lord Zhao whispered, trailing his fingers along her thigh, where he had slapped her.

She shuddered as his fingers trailed up to her nether lips, and a tear slid down her cheek. She felt ashamed, and wished she would die on the spot, regardless of the fact that his gentle touch felt good. That one fact made her feel even more ashamed.

Zhao smirked as he noted her reaction, and he ran a finger along her plump nether lips. She was so lovely. It was a good thing he had not decided to exterminate the entire population. He was not stupid, and knew that Waterbending was valuable and necessary, Katara's healing abilities were proof of that She was a rare treasure, and he intended on making good use of her. He parted her legs a few inches more for a better view and she whimpered, looking away.

**(the smut in this chapter has been cut out... you can go to my profile and follow the link there to see the hot and uncut Zhaotara action.)**

Usually, he didn't care whether his conquests came or not. They were there for his pleasure, not their own. But there was something about the way that Katara responded to pleasure, that made him think. He liked the way she cried out, the way her body would arch or tremble under his attentions despite her attempts at resistance. Oh, this woman was delightful. He intended to keep her and use her more than once. She satisfied him in a way that the previous slaves and concubines had not. Her lips were slightly parted, and looked so soft.

The Water Tribe woman calmed down, wiggling a bit, cheeks red from the heat of her orgasm and his attentions. One of his rough hands caressed her cheek. When he leaned down for a kiss, she turned her face away, not wishing to share this bit of intimacy with this loathed man.

But he would not be pushed aside like that. He took her chin in his hand and forced her head back into place, sealing his lips over hers in a bruising kiss.

"Mine." he growled against her lips.

"No…" she moaned back as he continued kissing her, sucking on her lips and crushing his own against hers. When he broke the kiss, she whispered in a clear voice, her eyes filled with defiance.

"I hate you."

He merely smirked at this, and caressed her cheek with his thumb. So spirited, all it had taken was some attention to rouse it out of this quiet little nurse who had not caused any trouble since she had come here. She narrowed her eyes when she saw his smirk and looked away again, clearly fuming as she jerked her head away from his caress.

It was horrible. She hated him, hated this new life. She would end hers the moment she could, if only to escape his touch. She had contemplated death many times, but something inside of her had always stopped her.

When he rolled off, she started to climb off the bed, but he pulled her back. Usually, when he was done, he kicked his conquests out of bed, but he wanted this one to stay. Usually, women were brought to his bed for pleasure, and nothing but – he had no desire to listen to snoring, whimpering, or otherwise. He was surprised at the urge that he wanted her to stay.

But then, taking her had felt good. He had enjoyed playing with her tight little snatch, and kneading these soft breasts of hers. Sometimes in the morning, he would wake up horny. It would be nice to have her right there, for him to roll on top of and take should he wake up with an erection.

Then, he would send her back to the infirmary. And he would just have her brought back when the day was done, simple as that, should he need release again.

"Let me go!" she cried out as she remained pinned under him. He made no move to pull out, even though he had gone flaccid.

"No. You are mine, lovely one, and you will learn to accept this; learn to like it…" he growled against her ear, biting down on the lobe gently.

"You have already taken me, defiled my body." Katara replied, staring at him icily. He was not deterred by that cold stare, and smirked right back, which only seemed to infuriate her more.

"You will be mine." he growled. She whimpered in frustration, looking away.

"You already took me. What use have you for me?" she asked. She had heard that he used and discarded women easily. What she had seen and heard in the past was evidence that these stories were more than mere rumors. She could try to erase him and his touch out of her memory. Working in the infirmary kept her busy, and she rarely if ever saw Zhao.

"You can guess." he hissed in a seductive way, his breath tickling her ear.

"I heard that you... discard women after using them once."

"Those women did not please me. You please me a great deal..."

Damnit. That was her worst fear, that he might want her again. She groaned softly and tried to wiggle away, but he pinned her down.

"You're not flattered that I am so pleased by you?" the Fire Lord asked with a triumphant smirk. She refused to dignify that with an answer, to look up at him.

"Be a good girl." he added, as if he truly were admonishing a child. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly at the condescension in his tone, but she held back a biting remark as he slid out of her. She felt a bit of his essence leaking out of her.

He pushed her firmly to one side so that he could pull down the comforter. Pulling just as firmly as he had pushed before, he deposited her down on the silken sheets with little effort. Again, she tried to move out of the bed despite the comfort of it.

"You will stay in the bed, and be a good girl." His voice had no playfulness this time. She looked down at the red silk silently, making no move. Seeming satisfied with this small gesture of surrender, he settled into the bed, using a flick of his wrist to extinguish.

Draping a arm across his conquest, he lay next to her in what could almost be called spooning. She stiffened, but he still held her close. He liked having her in his bed to cuddle. Azula had not wanted to touch at all, and other women, he simply kicked out of bed. But Katara was quiet as he pulled the blanket up.

Katara lay there quietly, hoping she would not rouse Azula's wrath by sleeping with her husband. They slept in separate apartments so she would not be seen, but soon enough, word would get out that she was sleeping with the Fire Lord, if he decided to give her more of his attentions.

"I'm scared." Katara whispered. Of him, of Azula, of the Fire Nation, of what the future would hold.

"Shh...Don't be." he whispered, kissing the back of her neck. Such a warm and pleasing scent. He found it oddly comforting. She did not reply to his soft statement, and he shrugged to himself. He was warm and sated, at least for now. He had several weapons, but they were behind locked doors or hidden away from her reach, and the door to the bedchamber was locked. She couldn't leave, not unless he said so.

"Aren't you going to wish your lord a good night and sleep?" Zhao asked, goading her, reminding her of her position. He had no desire to harm her, but she needed to remember her position. Too often a master allowed his concubine too much freedom or was too lax with her, and there were consequences.

"Good night, my lord. May your sleep be pleasant and restful." Katara replied in a quiet voice, clearly parroting what she was taught. But his reminder served its purpose, and he smirked as he closed his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Desire**_

Chapter 4

Avatar and its characters are not mine, and I do not make any profit off this fanfic.

It's been a while since I updated this story, but since so many of you wanted to see more, here it is. I don't know if Chapter 4 is the end of Desire or not. I have a few ideas as to what could happen later, so I don't know if I will flesh them out or not. As always, I appreciate feedback.

Katara rubbed her eyes as she opened them. The bed she was in was far softer and more comfortable than the simple mat she slept on in the infirmary. The pillow was large and fluffy, encased in soft red silk, and the sheets that sandwiched her between them were silk as well. She moaned softly when she felt a warm body against hers, and looked down to see a muscled arm draped loosely along her hip. So it wasn't a dream...

As she shifted, she felt something graze against her shoulder, and looked down at it to see a sizable sideburn. Immediately, she stiffened, closing her eyes. Spirits, let this be a dream! _Let me wake up elsewhere!_, she prayed silently as she felt her pulse quicken. Why couldn't the destruction of the Northern Water Tribe and the subsequent events be nothing but a nightmare? Why did Fate have to be so cruel?

After several long moments, she opened her eyes, seeing rich shades of reds and golds. There was no denying this reality, nor of the fact that a naked male body was pressing against her own equally nude form.

Her pounding heart gradually slowed down as she allowed the grim reality of things to sink in. She had been forcefully deflowered by the Fire Lord, the very same man responsible for the ruin of her Tribe. Her fingers digging into the soft sheets, she closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down. It would not do to start screaming or having a panicked fit. She had been here in Fire Nation for over a year, and she had been resigned to her fate as slave to the Fire Lord, a master that she rarely ever saw even though he had changed her life drastically..

Katara was surprised at how quickly she was able to collect herself. A year ago, finding herself in this situation would have sent her in hysterics, or a attempt to end her life.

After several long moments, she opened her eyes and let them wander over to the man responsible for all of this. Even deep in slumber, he still had a firm expression about his face, and it somehow felt appropriate to the Waterbender. His muscled arm was slung across her waist, his flesh as warm as it had been last night. Was this common among Firebenders, or was this merely her imagination, a throwback to the feel of his heated flesh against hers the night before?

And his body within hers, so hot and searing, seemingly spearing her very core over and over again with its demanding heat...

She started to wiggle away – slowly and carefully, trying not to wake him up. She had no idea what to do just now. Running away was not a option – it was obvious she was Water Tribe, and she couldn't hide the color of her eyes. She was too valued to let loose, and it would take a miracle to escape the Capitol of the Fire Nation unless she had someone helping her. And who would be willing to help a Water Tribe slave? She had nothing to offer for that help. Well, there was one thing, and it was the thing that had brought her to Zhao's bed. Would she be willing to offer it again for a chance to escape?

As if sensing her thoughts, the Fire Lord's arm tightened slightly. She stiffened and stilled, waiting for him to waken. He remained asleep, but his embrace remained possessive. Waiting patiently, she concentrated on her breathing for several long moments. When it seemed that he was not going to wake, she started to wiggle again, her rear end sliding along the soft silk as she sought to extricate herself from his grip, moving more slowly than before.

It seemed that she would finally break free, but the Fire Lord stirred, pulling her back when his hand curled around her side, and lips pressed against her shoulder.

"Mmm... did you think you could escape, my Waterbender?" he growled groggily against her skin. She swallowed before shaking her head, trying to think of a plausible excuse.

"...Forgive me, my lord. I just needed to... relieve myself." she murmured. The Fire Lord certainly wouldn't want her to make water in his bed, would he?

"Very well. Go ahead. It goes without saying that you are not to make a mess." he murmured. As if she had to be told.

The washroom was adjacent to the bedchamber, and was no less luxurious. The washroom that was part of the infirmary was functional, with a latrine and a small tub and a basin. One of her chores in the infirmary was to keep this clean. But the Fire Lord's washroom... it was like none she had ever seen. The tub was large, more than enough to accommodate the Fire Lord and a good handful of concubines. The walls and finishings were rich and ornate, with ruby and gold dragons as part of the wrought metalwork, and the latticed windows let in a good amount of light. The chamber was clearly designed for the Fire Lord, and was a far cry from squatting over the ground, or washing oneself with pond water.

It did not take her long to do what she had told the Fire Lord she would do. But the Fire Lord's seed remained within her. She had no desire to spawn a half-breed from the man who had ruined her life. She had felt a bit of it leaking out after his taking of her, and it was now dry, a few stiff white droplets on her thighs.

Her hands rested atop her womb as she tried to think of how to handle the situation. The physician in charge of her care did seem concerned about her, but she didn't want to have to rely on others constantly for help. To survive in this place, she had to be self-reliant.

Soy sauce. Perfume. Sweat. Anything that had water in it could be bended. Fire Lord Zhao was a Firebender, and his seed did feel searing when he had exploded deep within her. But the seed of a Firebender was just the same as that of any other male.

It took several moments of deep concentration. She had to look within, to focus her attention on her womb without hurting herself. There it was – the foreign presence. Closing her eyes, she homed in on it, every drop of it, before stretching her fingers downward.

Afterwards, she stood in front of the basin, staring at her reflection in the mirror. There were no obvious changes to her face or body. Of course, she knew that sex and losing one's maidenhead wouldn't cause some sort of magical metamorphosis when it came to her external appearance, but she scrutinized herself in the mirror nonetheless. Her hair was loosely rumpled, and she was naked. She had never seen herself naked before a mirror.

Yes, she had seen herself in the reflection of water as she bathed, but nothing revealed so much as a well-crafted mirror, its glass polished to a shine and the silver applied to the back with great care, revealing not one single bubble or crack. The frame was wrought gold, in the design of dragons. She looked so out of place in these posh surroundings, and she trembled slightly as she thought of her future in this place.

Feeling faint, she pumped some water out of the faucet and splashed her face with it, welcoming the sudden burst of coolness. Her eyes slid down to the water that was at the moment making its way down the drain.

"I said that you could relieve yourself. I never said anything about you playing with the water." she heard a voice rumble from behind her. In the mirror, she saw the Fire Lord standing in the doorway, still in the nude. Quickly averting her eyes downward, she murmured out the truth.

"I did do that, my lord. I... merely felt faint and needed to splash cool water on my face and hands. I humbly beg forgiveness, my lord."

There was a silence for several moments, and she closed her eyes, wondering if he would strike her for what he would surely see as 'insolence'.

"Come to bed." was all the Fire Lord had to say in response. When she opened her eyes, he was gone.

Hesitantly, she emerged from the washroom, her thin arms crossed across her chest. She stood there in the doorway, clearly hesitant to return to the bed even if the morning air chilled her nude form. Zhao was propped up against several large pillows, his head and back nestled comfortably among the thick cushions.

"Come." he whispered, though his tone remained firm, leaving no room for argument.

The young Waterbender stood there for several moments, glancing at him with trepidation.

"I won't bite. Come here." the Fire Lord added with a small smirk.

"You bite me last night." she reminded him.

"And you liked it." he responded, his smirk widening. She had no response to that and merely shook her head weakly in a unconvincing denial of his statement.

"Come." he commanded once more. Her steps, quiet and hesitant, brought her to the bed. Strong hands reached out to grasp her sides, and she found herself pulled onto the soft comforter. His body radiated warmth, and she found herself turned around so that her back was pressed against his chest. His hands slid along her body, strong but gentle, spreading their warmth along her skin.

The same man who had seen fit to bring her Tribe to its knees by brute force was now exploring her body almost lovingly, and she could not help but groan softly as a breast was squeezed and kneaded.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" he whispered into her ear hotly, his breath tickling the lobe.

"I miss my home." she whispered before she could stop herself. Zhao did not stop his administrations, relishing the feel of her soft rear end in his lap as a hand rubbed her stomach. SO she missed that pitiful city in the ice? She would get over it soon enough. She was being treated well enough here, and she would learn to appreciate what she had been given. Though it was a fact that many people called him a hardnose, and he did lead many campaigns of destruction during his career, he wasn't completely heartless. Besides, he was enjoying himself too much at the moment to think of much else.

Pulling his mind back from affairs of state and his past deeds, he trailed idle patterns along Katara's smooth stomach with his fingers before they trailed upward to her arm. Her skin tingled from the touch, and she closed her eyes again. A small sigh of pleasure escaped her lips when his lips ghosted along her shoulder.

"Mmm. You like that, don't you?" he asked softly.

Deciding to not resist when he obviously knew the answer, she nodded out a yes. He smiled a bit against her shoulder before his fingers slid back down, trailing along her side and hip. There was no resistance on her part, and he was pleased to feel her relaxing.

His touches felt good. But Katara would die before she said it out loud. Whatever he wished to do, she would simply relax. That had a better outcome than fighting against him, and she would eventually return to the infirmary and be rid of him.

"So lovely." the Fire Lord growled, his lips against the side of her neck, feeling her pulse. His hand trailed lower, along her lower stomach and through the small thatch of wiry brown hair that sat just above her slit.

**(this part of the story is too hot, fun, and spicy for FFNet standards. To se the uncut version of this story, simply follow the link that is provided in my profile.)**

"Mmm. Mine. All mine." Zhao growled, almost more to himself. Katara chose to not respond to his claim, and her cheeks were wet with tears as she collected herself.

Zhao noted her tears but said nothing about it. She had enjoyed herself, that much was clear. Let her cry all she wanted.

Lifting himself off her lithe frame, he climbed off the bed and went to the washroom without further ado. Katara did not move. The Fire Lord had not told her to leave, and she assumed that he had had to relieve himself just as she had to do. Besides, the silk was comfortable, and she concentrated on how it felt against her body as she slowed her breathing and heartbeat. Her skin was covered with a thin sheen of sweat, and the bite that he had just given her gave her a dull ache at the location.

After a couple of minutes, he returned to the bed. She felt his weight settle onto the mattress.

He looked down at her, letting her calm herself as one of his hands caressed her back and rear end, enjoying the feel of it. He had enjoyed this one immensely, in a way that he had not enjoyed with his other conquests. She belonged to him.

When he left his apartment, she would go back to the infirmary to work, as he did not wish to waste her talents or turn her into some pampered toy. But he could always call her back. He loved the warmth of her body against him, her soft mocha skin, the way she tasted and smelled...

Soon enough he stopped stroking her, and slid off the bed. She glanced at him curiously, unsure of if she was to stay where she was.

"You may go to the infirmary. You were brought here for your talents, and they will not go wasted." he stated coolly, as if his dalliance with her was nothing. Of course he had enjoyed himself, but he was the Fire Lord, and she was a slave. She could not be allowed to think that she had too much value to him.

Katara blinked and without a word slowly climbed off the bed, finding her discarded clothing and getting dressed, feeling self conscious under his gaze.

With a quick bow and the proper farewell words to her lord, she retreated from the Fire Lord's chambers.

Perhaps once she was out of his sight, he would forget her and find another conquest for tonight. With that in mind, she felt better after taking a quick bath after having submitted to a examination from the physician, and went around her work as usual. But after dinner, a summons came to her again in the form of a guard and she trembled slightly.

The doors to the Fire Lord's chambers were opened as she approached by stony-faced guards, and she swallowed as they closed behind her.

The Fire Lord was dressed more casually, having come out of his bath. He was reclined on his bed. Katara quickly dropped to her knees and gave him the correct obeisance and greetings.

"Stand." Zhao ordered. In silence, she rose to her feet, her hands at her sides, her eyes averted in the way that she had been taught.

"You know why you have been summoned, don't you?"

"You want my warmth."

"Your warmth. Such a nice way of putting it. Yes. I want it, and you shall give it to me."

She dared herself to lift her eyes, and she saw a smirk on his face.

"Come here. You know my touches feel good. Don't deny it, Waterbender."

Her cheeks flush with shame, she nodded weakly.

"I cannot deny it, my lord."

Spirits save her.


End file.
